Terrorism, Iraq and climate, what top secret documents declassified after 20 years reveal

Previously top-secret documents were unsealed on New Year's Day, revealing what went on behind closed doors in former Prime Minister John Howard's cabinet room 20 years ago. Some 240 classified documents from the year 2002 have been released by the National Archives of Australia.

Κάτοικοι και τουρίστες εκκενώνουν τον τόπο της βομβιστικής επίθεσης στο Μπαλί της Ινδονησίας (Φώτο αρχείου) Source: AP / Radar Bali/AP

KEY POINTS

• In 2002 the government made several critical decisions
• The then Prime Minister has no regrets about his decisions
• What John Howard says about the Kyoto climate agreement

In 2002, the nation and its decision-makers were entering a frightening new era as the world tried to come to terms with 9/11.

Fears of a terrorist attack near Australia would soon become a reality.

"The world had turned upside down," the then Prime Minister John Howard recalled to the Nine Network of that turbulent time.

His cabinet was faced with some of the most difficult decisions.